There are a few media technologies that I feel are actually worthwhile. There are several on the market but, not a whole lot that really reach out to the masses.
Facebook: Let’s start with the most obvious form of social networking out there right now. This phenomenon took the world by storm with its insight into the personal lives of our families, friends and, sometimes, complete strangers. It says a lot about our society that we jumped at the chance to get a very intimate peek into the lives of others. Now, Facebook is the largest social networking site on the Web. Millions of people, companies, social groups, log on every day to update their friends on what is going on in their small corner of the world. For my job, we even have a Facebook page for the Airmen on our installation. It is just another way to get the information our and to engage the younger population. We put things like upcoming events, safety tips and photos of Airmen at work on the Facebook page. We do have to be careful, though, because when you have an organizational page, you have to make sure that other people are not being inappropriate on your site. You don’t want to make it look like you endorse the opinions of others, just because they have “liked” your page. Facebook does give privacy settings to its users which does allow a bit of control on who is allowed to view your information. It’s important to me to have the settings as private as possible because I am not comfortable with my work life and personal life mixing. For that reason, I am not “friends” on Facebook with co-workers. Maybe it is because I am in the military and I have to set a good example to my troops. I don’t necessarily want them to see a photo of me out at a bar or club. It can really undermine my authority and credibility.
Twitter: Sort of a mix between your Facebook folks and your bloggers, this site allows people to “follow” an individual’s every move, literally. With “tweets” limited to just 140 characters, users subject their followers to some of the most mundane news moments. I have seen “brushing my teeth with my new toothbrush,” “going to the grocery store,” “Oh! They’re out of milk!” I can’t even begin to describe how riveting this news is. However, like everything, Twitter does have its purpose. Many celebrities use it to connect with their fans. This is an excellent marketing tool because it makes them more attainable to those who are true followers. At work, we also use Twitter. We mostly just “tweet” links to news stories, photos and Facebook posts. Every once in awhile we will provide a quick congratulatory message to award winners or people who have been selected for promotion. Businesses can use this service to update their clients and customers on quick facts pertaining to the business. I could see this working really well with the stock exchange and investment companies. It really just gives people another avenue to receive pertinent information quickly and from anywhere. Even though you are limited to how many characters you can use to send a message, it is very easy to link your “tweets” to other sites containing more information.
Broadcasting: Ah, yes…remember the days when you HAD to listen to commercials on the radio because you were driving through the most remote part of the Midwest and there was only one station that came in? It made for some very creative road trips but, ultimately, we all survived. In today’s world of satellite radio, TV’s in cars, we have kind of forgotten our friends in the radio. Television broadcasting has experienced similar setbacks. Now you can record a show and fast-forward through all the commercials. It’s a far cry from the days when you dreaded The State of the Union speech because you knew the president would be on all finve channels that you received. However, broadcasting is not a dying breed, yet. They have moved with the times to make commercials more entertaining, funny and, sometimes, shocking. We are all familiar with watching the Super Bowl and laughing hysterically at whatever commercial the beer industries came out with. Even if you’re not a sports fan, I’m sure you can relate. TV and radio are still medias which reach several people and can sometimes reach them on a more emotional level than an Internet news feed. I’m talking about the Hallmark commercials that have you in tears or the holiday charity ones; those get me every time. TV and radio broadcasting are still hanging on, but just by a thread. What we’re seeing here is a complete shift in the way people get their information. If TV and radio want to stay relevant, they’ve got to move with the changing times. Many have, with Facebook and Twitter pages. Go figure.
Print: And my long, lost love – print journalism. It’s still there, if you look hard enough. Papers are going away all across the country, which makes me kind of want to cry. However, specialty papers and magazines, like the New York Times, Washington Post, etc., are still going strong. The support of their loyal readers is still evident in their profit margins. Unfortunately, because the world gets its news immediately now, print journalism has become almost obsolete. Again, in my job, the base paper used to be the end-all, be-all of our existence. It defined our relevance as communicators and really gave a tangible product to our audiences. Now, with budget and personnel cuts, the paper is a thing of the past, and something we really cannot afford to keep in production. I am lucky at my current duty station because it’s a fairly small town we operate in. What is nice about this is that you still have people who take the time to read the morning paper and find the information in it relevant, even if the information is a week old and doesn’t really pertain to anything going on today. Almost all publications now have a Web site as well as their print counterpart. This allows its younger audience to get news immediately, while still catering to those who prefer to enjoy their morning cup of coffee with the newspaper. It pains me to say it but, print journalism is a media outlet that is drying up faster than a puddle in the middle of Afghanistan in June.
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